[ Project Scope ]
UI/UX
Penelope.AI is a speculative design intervention which makes the invisible mechanics of AI marketing visible. It transforms moments of manipulation into moments of awareness, helping consumers reclaim control over their digital desires.
[ Year ]
2025
Unpacking The Lies
Penelope.AI is a speculative design intervention that tackles the murky ethics of AI-powered marketing. Set in a consumer landscape increasingly shaped by opaque algorithms and surveillance capitalism, the project questions how much agency we truly have when every scroll, click, and pause becomes data.
Drawing from behavioral research, e-commerce audits, and user insights, the project proposes a browser plug-in that helps create transparency in online shopping trends—making it easier for users to understand what data is being manipulated, how it’s being used, and why it matters.
At its heart, Penelope.AI is a call for transparency, fairness, and user autonomy in digital spaces, an attempt to reimagine marketing not as a means of manipulation, but as a medium of informed, consensual desire.
The Context– Invisible Influence of AI in Consumer Choice
As a consumer in today’s desire-driven economy, I often struggle with my sense of agency and worth. My voice feels powerless against the dominant forces shaping society.
I exist in a "fake world"—a curated, simplified version of reality constructed by those in power to maintain control and stability (Curtis et al., 2016).
I want to reclaim my power: my data, my privacy, and my autonomy over my desires. I seek a world where my data is shared on my terms, not extracted without consent.
Penelope
My Process
Since I had full ownership of the project, I was able to engage with every stage of the design process. Although my approach was not linear, I’ve presented an overview here that reflects the range of work I undertook throughout the project.
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Is digital technology (+AI) diminishing our autonomy over our digital desires and data, pulling us away from intentional, autonomous choice?
Methodology
As a User Experience Designer, I prioritise the user's needs, iterate rapidly and ensured that stakeholder needs are taken care of. I followed the Design Thinking Framework throughout the design process for this project.
Secondary Research
Studied literature on algorithmic bias, digital manipulation, and AI-driven personalization to understand how recommendation systems shape user behavior. This helped identify gaps in transparency and control that current tools don’t address.
User Flow
Information Architecture
Lo-fi Wireframes
Lo-fi Wireframes
Click here to interact with the figma prototype!
Interactive Prototype
